The Villain's Handbook
by Seigyoki Maou
Summary: One day, and eight year old Naruto is given a certain book. It changes everything.
1. The Handbook

AN: New story, still gonna keep up the pace for Looking Glass, but, couldn't just leave this one in the journal. Based on the concept of Naruto coming into the possession of a guidebook to being a genre savvy villain. Obviously, being Naruto, he won't be perfect at it, hopefully Lulz will ensue. Enjoy!

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><p>Villain's Handbook<p>

The Handbook

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><p><em>Read and comprehend these rules for villainy, if you take these lessons to heart, you too can be a successful villain.<em>

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><p>Naruto Uzumaki, eight years old, had, by his estimation, a very shitty day.<p>

It had started tamely enough, a couple merchants spitting on his food, he gingerly scooped the wads of phlegm off, smothered the food in spicy sauce, and proceeded to eat.

It began to escalate from there.

A merchant's bodyguard had slammed him into a wall, because he "looked suspicious." Naruto had been fully intended to pay the ridiculously inflated "special customer" price for a new pair of shoes, but of course, that was wholly irrelevant.

His prized jacket, the only one he owned, had been "accidentally" set on fire by a street performer.

Several children his own age had jumped him and beat him with sticks.

He could see it every time he closed his eyes.

After all, he was Konoha's little demon, and he never forgot anything.

Ever.

However, this shitty day would prove to be the turning point in his life.

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><p>A tired looking man with black eyes bumped into Naruto. The young blonde leapt back and prepared for a beating.<p>

He received none, which was surprising.

"T-thanks onii-san."

The man looked down at Naruto, and tensed, then relaxed. He looked at Naruto's disheveled state, "What happened?"

Naruto looked at the ground, "Bad day."

The man scowled, and reached into his weapon pouch, producing a slim black book. "Then make a better one." He pressed the book into Naruto's hand, and vanished.

Naruto looked at the book. It was simply bound in soft black leather, the title on the cover in simple silver lettering.

"'The Villain's Handbook', by Itachi Uchiha. The heck?"

Shrugging, Naruto tucked it into his pocket and made his way home, deciding to give the book a look.

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><p>Naruto stared at the book, then slowly blinked, and looked at his clock.<p>

The glowing green digital numbers flickered occasionally. They read four o'clock

Two days after he had received the book. And to his knowledge, every second of those two days had been spent pouring over the information in the deceptively small book. Apparently, it was made using some sort of expanding seal, this resulted in it having far more pages than appearances would indicate.

This book would change his life, of that he was sure.

The book was a fount of knowledge, all of it geared towards being a successful villain. As much as he read, as much as he absorbed, there was more, each turn of the page, a revelation. A revelation about himself, the village he lived in, the country his village was in, and the world at large. It was rather humbling.

As he continued to pour over the book, the days past him by.

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><p>While the book contained a wealth of knowledge, Naruto found that once the floodgates had been opened, closing them once more was impossible. He craved more knowledge. More and more and more.<p>

He had caught himself licking his lips at the thoughts of such delicious knowledge.

So the blonde had found himself at the Konoha Public Library. He was barely an academy student, so he only had clearance to access the most public of the sections. History and assorted sciences mostly.

And he devoured them.

He poured over the books, his mind a steel trap, locking in every single word and minute detail of the many subjects he turned his attention to.

In the course of a month, he read every book within his clearance level at the library.

After some careful manipulation of the librarian, he was given a higher level of access. Chunin level, to be exact, although if he was ever caught in those sections he was to pretend he had no knowledge of the clearance system, or confess to having snuck into the restricted areas.

The months Naruto spent in the library were the most peaceful of his short life.

Nobody thought to search for the "demon brat" inside the single largest non-clan repository or knowledge in the village.

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><p>The blonde, now nine years old, sat on a large rolling chair, deep in thought. He was securely tucked away in what he had dubbed his "lair." It was an old, abandoned, and fully furnished compound hidden deep below the streets of Konoha. As was the norm with most of his discoveries lately, the handbook had guided him here.<p>

It also detailed the steps to manipulating the incredibly complex traps, and discovering a secret stash of medical and scientific texts, the likes of which he had never seen before.

He wracked his brain for some fact, some obscure fact with which he could connect the name of the author of these texts to an actual person.

Orochimaru.

He sighed, and resolved himself to more research. The man's notes and musing were incredibly informative, but somewhat disjointed. Naruto resolved to find this man one day, and ask him for clarification on some of the more convoluted points of his formulas. If needed.

Just because he remembered everything, didn't mean he fully understood it.

Frowning, Naruto pulled out his handy dandy Villain's Handbook, and thumbed to the to-do list he had inked on one of the first pages, thoughtfully blank for just such a purpose. The first two points had been marked off, as they were complete.

**1) **Think of a goal - Gather as much practical knowledge as possible, comprehend all I can.

** 1a) **All knowledge is practical, all knowledge can be comprehended with enough effort

**2) **Establish a lair

** 2a)** Nothing too cliched, no secret mountain bases, no active volcanoes, ect.

** 2b) **Something simple and understated would be best, though taking into accounts the practical applications of a sturdy lair.

Naruto looked around, the underground compound was definitely simple, though it was ornate enough to be visually pleasing as well as starkly functional. The previous owner obviously had good taste.

He looked down at object three on the list.

**3)** MINIONS  
><strong> 3a)<strong> Obviously, must be trustworthy, and complement my own skill set and be able to compensate for my deficiencies.

Item three-a invariably lead to object four.

**4)** Increase own strength.

** 4a)** Mental pursuits are obviously my strong suit, although this places a more stressing need for physical training to compensate for my overdeveloped mental capabilities. My body must be in perfect harmony, if my mind is at its peak, so too must my body be.

Naruto sighed, item three would take time, and while it was more important to his plans in the long run, it could be overlooked for the more immediately attainable item four, which he suspected would never be marked off.

After all, the capacity for human growth was astounding.

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><p>AN: Soo...there we go. The beginnings of a beautiful new story, that will probably incredibly amusing. Naruto is going to be evil, though not entirely dark. I enjoy the concept. There's gonna be a timeskip between the time at the end of this chapter, and the beginning of the next chapter.<p>

Approximately three years of time. Hope ya'll enjoyed.

Read and review please.


	2. Benefactor

Villain's Handbook

Benefactor

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><p>"Shino-kun! I need more of compound eight!" Naruto scrambled across his instrument panel, turning knobs and rapidly pushing buttons.<p>

"My apologies Naruto-sama, I neglected to have my hive synthesize excess quantities of the compound." Shino stood calmly, a clipboard in his hand, taking notes dutifully. As Naruto's only present disciple, the menial task of keeping ordered notes for later reference fell to him. He didn't mind really, but he did take some measure of pleasure from watching his slightly deranged mentor squirm as his experiment went horribly wrong.

"Make more! Quickly! It's destabilizing!" Naruto wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, and rapidly pushed buttons with his free hand.

"My apologies Naruto-sama. I will be unable to synthesize the needed quantity before the subject reaches critical failure."

Naruto tugged at his disheveled pony-tail, which was the closest Shino had ever seen the peculiar boy closer to blind and rampant fury than when he tugged on his long, disheveled pony-tail. "GAAAAHG!"

There was a high pitched whine, the sound of glass cracking, and the sound of a viscous fluid spewing from a pressurized space.

"Naruto-sama, are you ok?"

Naruto simply sighed, and ran a hand though his hair, a motion he regretted, shaking it to dislodge some of the slime.

"Shino-kun. I'm covered in protoplasm. Do I _look_ ok?"

"You look like you're perfectly fine, aside from being covered in protoplasm."

Naruto made inarticulate noises and flexed his hands in fury.

Shino stared on impasively, and pushed his glasses further up his nose.

"I...urk...Ah...ugh...eh...HNNNN...FUCK YOU SHINO!"

"Shall I begin gathering samples of the protoplasm?"

Naruto again sighed, and again ran his hand through his hair, and again regretted it, and again shook his hand to dislodge the slime. "Sure, why the fuck not."

Shino nodded, and waved his hand. A cloud of black insects swarmed over Naruto, picking each and every speck of offending slime off of the blonde, which they then deposited inside special containers, meant for just such a purpose.

Naruto shook himself to dislodge any remaining beetles, and left Shino in charge of cleanup. Serves him right for not making enough of the compound they'd needed to stabilize Naruto's little experiment.

A bell rang, echoing through the compound, and Naruto brightened up, placing his glasses in the pocket of his white coat. "Ah, Danzo-san must be here with new subjects. Perhaps he'll agree to giving me a few of his henchmen. They are rather plentiful."

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><p>Naruto and Danzo had a pleasant working relationship. The compound Naruto had discovered shared the Konoha underground with the compound of Danzo's Root organization, something Naruto did not mind in the slightest, so long as he was given his space.<p>

Upon discovering that someone had moved into the abandoned compound, Danzo had stormed the place.

Naruto was outraged, and Danzo lost roughly twenty men to Naruto's traps and experiments.

Needless to day, Danzo was surprised that a nine year old child had defeated twenty of his highly trained Root operatives, even if said nine year old took no direct part in the combat. When the remaining members of Root finally corned the blonde boy, Danzo was further surprised. The Kyuubi jinchuuriki.

Seeing the potential benefits of having a positive relationship with the blonde jinchuuriki, Danzo apologized for the intrusion, and offered his friendship.

The blonde accepted, on several conditions.

Danzo thought them to be prudent, and acceptable, and so agreed.

The secretive man began supplying the blonde boy with scientific equipment, and funding his research.

Not once since this relationship began did Danzo regret his decision.

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><p>"Ah, Danzo-san, how has your day been?" Naruto appeared behind Danzo's escorts, a pair of scalpels pressed into their backs. The old warhawk grinned, and a member of Root materialized behind Naruto, and placed a blade at his neck.<p>

Naruto sighed, and palmed his scalpels, stowing them away in his sleeves. "Ano..you win yet again Danzo-san."

"My day has been well Naruto-kun, I have some spies for your experiments, and a gift. But before that, how goes your project? Is the blood I acquired for you sufficient?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, tugging lightly on his pony-tail. "The blood is more than sufficient, but my progress is slow. What with keeping my cover, and the difficulties of combining the blood in a stable sequence, I don't expect to make much progress in the immediate future. The trouble is with stabilization! I can see what it must be but all the variables are difficult to isolate, if I can manage to stabilize it for just a few moments longer I ca-"

Danzo raised a hand before the blonde got into a rant on his project, "I have faith in your abilities Naruto-kun. So, which would you like first? The spies or your gift?"

Naruto's face lit up, and Danzo was reminded that, despite everything Naruto did, and how he spoke, the blonde was still very much a child. "Gift!"

The warhawk chuckled, "Very well Naruto-kun, here you go." The leader of Root placed a glass cylinder in the blonde's hand.

The blonde stared at it, "Is it?"

A smile, "It is."

Awe showed itself on Naruto's face, for an instant, quickly hidden, "Who's?"

Danzo's smile wavered, for but a moment, before it reasserted itself. "Can't tell you that Naruto-kun, you know how it is."

Naruto nodded "Abilities?"

Danzo pondered that for a moment, then smirked, "Wow where's the fun if I just _tell_ you Naruto-kun?"

Naruto nodded and smiled broadly, "Have you analyzed the structure?"

Danzo nodded, "Only superficially, we did not want to damage them before I gave them to you."

The blonde nodded, slipping the cylinder into his white coat. "Spies?"

"Ah, yes. We have quite a diverse selection for you today, at least one from every village, several have Kekkei Genkai, or are members of clans with unique techniques. I'm sure you will be able to analyze them more thoroughly."

The blonde shrugged, his hand was in his pocket, and he was clearly toying with the glass cylinder.

"Is there a limit to how many I can take?"

Danzo shook his head, "I'm feeling generous today Naruto-kun, after all, you're to graduate from the academy tomorrow, and officially become a shinobi, yes?"

Naruto stopped in his tracks, before hurrying to catch up with Danzo, who hadn't stopped. "I had forgotten, thank you Danzo-san, I'll have to analyze your gift immediately after the spies are transferred to my holding cells, though, regrettably, I'll have to wait in my observations of them. Danzo-san, I'll have to excuse myself, I wish to analyze these immediately, I hope you can convey all the spies to my holding cells? And please, I would like all of them. You know I'll find out if someone is not brought."

Danzo nodded, remembering the last time he had attempted to not deliver one of the promised subjects. The blonde had melted a hole in the side of Root headquarters that was still being repaired. A repeat of that event was to be avoided. The blonde was quite vindictive when he chose to be.

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><p>"Shino-kun! Prep my tools!"<p>

Shino seemed to materialize next to him, "Which tools Naruto-sama?"

Naruto said nothing, only showing Shino the glass cylinder.

Shino nodded, adjusting his glasses, "Are you going to inspect them first?"

Naruto laughed, "Of course I am, I wouldn't put it past Danzo to kill me in such a manner."

Shino nodded, and hurried off to do what he was told.

Naruto held up the glass cylinder, peering at what waited within.

"This will be...interesting."

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><p>AN: So, thoughts?<p>

Ask your questions, I'll answer what I can without spoilers.


	3. What is the Measure of a Monster

AN: So, I really am enjoying writing this fic. Hope you're enjoying reading it.

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><p>Villain's Handbook<p>

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><p>Naruto arrived at class late, as per the norm. His teacher and classmates, save for Shino, assumed it was because he was a fool who didn't have much interest in the academy. That was only half true. Naruto was far from a fool, his reasons for being late were often related to his many projects and experiments.<p>

He took his seat next to Sakura, the object of his apparent affections. Again, his classmates were wrong, though again, this is what Naruto wishes. Truly, he despises the pink haired girl, who is loud and obnoxious and abrasive and largely without talent.

The blonde had opted to wear his headband as an armband, which when combined with his black tee-shirt and burnt orange shinobi pants, made him look somewhat striking, his blonde locks falling into his eyes on occasion.

Naruto lamented his advanced henge's lack of a ponytail.

He also lamented not being in his laboratory at this moment, happily toiling away at some unspeakable experiment.

He also lamented the fact that he had made a very important, very difficult decision.

No more acting like a fool.

Hiding his abilities, of course would continue, it wouldn't do to show the full extent of his talents to individuals that he might come into conflict with. That would be foolishness. Of course, discarding his mask as a hyperactive fool was some measure of foolishness, he still felt that it was for the best.

This is why, when it was announced that his teammates were Sasuke Uchiha and Shikamaru Nara, instead of shouting about how he had wanted to be on a team with Sakura, and how he hated Sasuke, as his class expected of him, he simply steepled his hands, leaned forward, and spoke a single simple word.

"_Fascinating_."

Needless to say, quite a few people were unnerved by this.

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><p>Naruto had heard of Kakashi Hatake, the infamous Copy Nin who supposedly copied one thousand techniques, ex-ANBU, elite jonin. Apparently his post-genin exam genin exam was incredibly difficult.<p>

Naruto and Shikamaru had opted to hide in the bushes and formulate a strategy while Sasuke rampaged against the more skilled shinobi.

When a suitable plan had been made, they collected Sasuke and informed him of it. Reluctantly, he agreed.

Within five minutes they had not only taken the bells from Kakashi, but also his prized Icha Icha novel, and had the jonin remove his pants and run half naked through Konoha.

There are few things that cannot be accomplished with the Kagemane no jutsu, a couple scalpels, and a bit of blackmail.

Oh, and teamwork. Teamwork is important as well.

Naruto understood this, very much so.

He had already analyzed his teammates for recruitment potential.

He resolved to acquire Shikamaru at some point, the boy would make a brilliant strategist, and would be good to keep around for intelligent conversation.

He had no need for a stuck up boy who was obsessed with vengeance, but he would remain in observation of Sasuke nonetheless, just in case his motivations took a turn for the better.

As for Kakashi...the man was talented, there was no doubt of that. They only defeated him as easily as they did because he was taking it easy, and underestimating them. Such a thing would never happen again. Naruto wished to acquire him as well, if only for the knowledge he possessed, and to see the changes an implanted Sharingan made to the body it was placed into.

Ah, but the lab called him, so he would think of this another time.

After all, he had guests.

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><p>Naruto stood in the small cell, looking at the woman with dirty blonde hair that was shackled to the wall.<p>

"Your name?"

The woman panted, she was exhausted, "Hana Chouwata."

"Ne, I know you're lying oneechan. Hana Chouwata is in the cell next to yours. She is from Iwagakure and possesses both the Bakuton Kekkei Genkai and a Kekkei Genkai that allows her to crystallize and manipulate her blood. A useful subject, she might help me discover how to combine Kekkei Genkai in a stable manner. But I digress. Tell me your name oneechan, tell me your name and I'll take your shackles off and bring you something to eat. Would you like that?"

His voice was soft, soothing. The woman instantly recognized the subtle currents of genjutsu hidden in his words. Clever, a lesser shinobi wouldn't have noticed it. That aside, he was completely correct. Her wrists were bleeding, her chakra was sealed, and she was starving. Her eyes shut as she steeled herself against his next assault against her mind.

A gentle, soft hand caressed her cheek, wiping blood from under her nose, and off her lips. She shuddered. He was just showing a kindness so that he could break her that much easier. She was loyal to her village. She would remain loyal.

Then he kissed her.

It was a gentle kiss, simply the blonde pressing his lips against hers, firmly, but gently. He broke the kiss, a small flush adorned his cheeks. "It's a shame oneechan. I would like to make you more comfortable, there's no reason for your stay to be unpleasant. Such a beautiful woman deserves to be treated well, but alas, you are not cooperating, and thus you force my hand. Ja ne oneechan."

As the thick metal door slammed shut behind him, Yugito Nii flushed.

That brat, who held her prisoner...

He just stole her first kiss.

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><p>She was worthless.<p>

Her father despised her for her weakness.

Her beloved sister despised her, because that was all she knew.

So Hinata Hyuuga found herself atop the Hokage Monument, perched atop the Yondaime Hokage's head, contemplating suicide.

And then she smelled the cigarette smoke.

She turned and saw one Naruto Uzumaki, sitting crosslegged atop the Yondaime's head, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

His eyes were half lidded, the blonde seemed lethargic. He blinked slowly as he looked at her. It occurred to him that she was the first of his classmates, aside from Shino, that had seen him without his henge. His hair was pale blonde, spiky and messy, and pulled back into a pony tail that fell to his lower back, resting on the ground as he sat there.

She looked at him with wide eyes.

He rose slowly, stubbing out his cigarette against the stone. "Come here to think, or to die?"

Hinata looked towards the ground, ashamed that his ice blue eyes had turned to inspect her in such a manner.

"I see." His voice was cold. She heard his foot crunch some chunks of stone beneath it as he stepped forward. She looked up in time to see his fist impact her face.

She staggered back, clutching at her streaming nose. Naruto's expression was cold, a sliver of silver in each hand. Scalpels. Hinata panicked, and tripped on her own feet.

In an instant, Naruto was atop her, one scalpel pressed against her neck as the other went to work removing her clothing, and making a large Y-shaped incision on her torso.

She felt like she was being autopsied.

She wasn't far off.

She screamed.

Naruto froze, his eyes softened, his smile gentle, his bloodied hands caressed her cheeks, wiping away her tears and replacing them with bloody streaks."There it is. You aren't ready to die yet, are you Hime?" Despite the pain wracking her body, and the terror she felt, she couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart when he called her that.

"N-n-n-n," The word wouldn't come. She was ashamed. The blonde placed a bloodied finger on her lips.

"Shh, it's fine Hime." Naruto stood up and pulled a needle and spool of thread out of his coat, and promptly set to stitching up the wound he caused. He worked in silence.

"Why." The Hyuuga finally found her voice.

"Hm?" Naruto looked towards her face, a calm expression on his face, his eye half-lidded, his mouth curled into a soft smile.

"T-this...w-why?" She yelped when Naruto jabbed a long needle into her chest, injecting a translucent blue fluid into her. He crouched over her, running his fingers along the lines of the cuts he made.

"Why not?" He placed a small jar next to her, "Give it about twenty minutes, then you should be able to move without tearing your wounds open." He gestured towards the jar, "Put that on it daily, it'll help reduce the scarring." The blonde turned away, lighting himself another cigarette as he did so. "Ne, Hime, next time we meet, show me something beautiful, ok?"

Hinata stiffened, and felt her cheeks begin to heat up, "Y-yes."

And then he was gone.


	4. Vita

AN: I think it's time to reveal what Naruto's persistently failing project is that involves blood and combining bloodlines. Its probably not what you expect.

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><p>Villain's Handbook<p>

Vita

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><p>Naruto sat wearily on his large rolling chair. "Shino-kun, please, give me good news. If it's bad news, just tell me that it's bad news, but not what the news is exactly. I don't think I could take it."<p>

Shino smiled behind the high collar that hid his face, his mentor was amusing at times, particularly when he was having a bad day. As much as he enjoyed watching his mentor flail in despair, he also enjoyed ending said despair. "The news is good Naruto-sama."

Naruto perked up, "Oh? Do tell Shino-kun."

Shino nodded and lifted up his clipboard to look at the data. "Hana Chouwata's blood is highly receptive to external genetic information. While there is no bonding, there is also no rejection or otherwise negative reaction." Shino waited with baited breath for Naruto to react to the test results.

Naruto steepled his fingers, looking thoughtful. "So her blood isn't _exactly_ what we need, but with some modifications, it can be. Good, good." Naruto leapt up, his joy plainly evident. "Shino-kun, fetch me the Goten Sokubaku please, and then begin with the modifications of Hana Chouwata's blood."

Shino bowed and retrieved the objects his mentor had requested, four metal cuffs lined with silk and a neck collar made of soft and supple leather. The Goten Sokubaku, the Five Point Bindings. Shino imagined that his mentor wished to use them on the prisoner he had taken a fancy to, the Kumo Kunoichi in the cell next to Hana Chouwata. Despite her defiance, Naruto was still treating her well, something that Shino didn't fully understand, but then again, he rarely fully understood the thought processes of his mentor. He had accepted that long ago, and bore his mentor no ill will because of it.

Returning to Naruto, Shino handed over the restraints and, as he was wont to do, spoke his mind, "Are they for the Kumo woman Naruto-sama?"

He could have sworn a flush rose on Naruto's cheeks. "If she tells me her name, then yes. If not, then she stays chained to the wall. Which is a shame, the shackles are chaffing her skin something awful."

Shino bowed, "I shall begin the needed adjustments to Hana's Chouwata's blood. Don't have too much fun Naruto-sama. I will retrieve you when my task is complete."

Naruto nodded, and headed off towards where the subjects were held.

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><p>Yugito Nii was no novice, though she had been captured due to a novice mistake. Never one to dwell on the past, she looked towards the future. Namely, escape. But at the same time, she looked towards the next time her blonde captor came to visit. She sighed, hoping that it was not soon, for if he asked her for her name again...she did not think she had the strength to resist that soothing, genjutsu laden voice.<p>

Of course, speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

The thick metal door swung open soundlessly, and her captor walked into her cell. He seemed tired, enthusiastic, but tired. He held a small bag in his left hand, and a bottle of water in his right. Placing the bag on the ground near the door, he approached her with the water, his actions as nonthreatening as was possible. Gently, he grasped her chin and tilted her head up.

Her lips parted as she stared into his calm face, slowly, he began to pour water into her mouth.

When the bottle was empty, he took up his usual spot near the door, and idly began toying with the bag.

She expected him to speak, but he did not. He only sat, his hands idly playing with the bag, or tugging at a loose string on his white coat, his eyes upward, as if contemplating the philosophical intricacies of the ceiling.

She spoke before she realized it. "Nii. Yugito Nii. That's my name." As soon as the words had tumbled from her mouth, she gasped.

The blonde simply turned towards her, his eyes half lidded, an easy smile on his face, "See Yugito-hime, was that so difficult?" He rose slowly, and staggered a bit, as if dizzy. Moving towards her, he began clamping metal cuffs onto her wrists and ankles. They were far more comfortable than the shackles that bound her to the wall, being a much lighter metal, and being padded and lined with silk. Finally, he fastened a soft leather collar around her neck. And then he removed the shackles that bound her to the wall.

Her eyes were as wide as saucers. Reflexively, she attempted to channel her chakra, but found herself unable to.

The blonde before her pouted, "Yugito-hime, you wound me, attempting to escape in such a manner. Come along now, I will show you to your new chambers, I imagine you will find them more than sufficient." Opening the door, the blonde exited the room, leaving the door wide open.

Numbly, she followed.

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><p>Hinata stood atop the Hokage monument, with brighter intentions now. She moved through the basic stances of the Juuken fluidly, flawlessly transitioning between them. Again and again she moved through the motions of the Juuken, until her body dripped with sweat and her muscles ached.<p>

Yet she did not stop. Again and again and again.

Naruto had told her to show him something beautiful.

So she would become beautiful.

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><p>Yugito was safely tucked away in her new chambers, they were sparsely furnished, but there was a bed, and a private bathroom, something Yugito was very grateful for. Before her "host" departed, he kissed her again.<p>

Once he was gone, Yugito realized that she had let him kiss her.

She had expected it. Seen it coming.

Allowed it.

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><p>"You seem happy Naruto-sama." Shino seemingly materialized next to Naruto, causing his mentor to reflexively launch a senbon towards the insect user. Thankfully for Shino, he was not really Shino, he was an Insect Clone.<p>

Naruto relaxed, "I am, I am!" Naruto beamed, his lazy smile growing into a wide smile of genuine mirth.

"Might I wonder why Naruto-sama?" Shino's voice, as always, was flat, but his interest was genuine.

"Why? Because, I have two beautiful princesses! Well, technically, I _have_ one. Yugito-hime will come along, in time."

Shino raised an eyebrow, "Two? I am aware of your affection for the Kumo kunoichi, but who is the other?"

Naruto continued smiling, "Why, your teammate of course Shino-kun. Next you see her, ask her if she has been applying the ointment to her scar for me, will you?"

Shino was flabbergasted, when had Naruto managed to sink his claws into Hinata? It must have been when his mentor stepped out to indulge in his habit. Shino nodded, "Of course Naruto-sama. Am I to address her as if I was addressing you?" Shino wished to know if Naruto considered her as anything more than a potential pawn. He was not disappointed.

"I don't think that will be necessary Shino-kun, although, Yugito-hime should receive that courtesy. Perhaps Hinata-hime will earn that distinction in the future, but at the moment, it is not needed."

Shino nodded, he expected as much. Yugito was at least a Jonin, if not ANBU, Naruto would want her treated with respect. Hinata was, at present, a timid and relatively weak. In Shino's opinion, she wasn't even worthy of being called princess by his mentor.

Of course, his opinion was always secondary to Naruto's. Just as it had always been secondary to his uncle's. Shino blinked. What had made him think of Izero? He had not thought about the exiled Aburame for quite some time.

"Oi, Shino-kun, pay attention." Naruto sounded annoyed. Shino immediately refocused. He still bore the scars from the last time he had angered his mentor.

"Yes, Naruto-sama. My appologies."

Naruto grunted his acceptance, and once more adopted his lazy smile, "So, Shino-kun, are the modifications to Hana Chouwata's blood complete?" Naruto's giddiness was palpable.

"Very nearly Naruto-sama, my colonies should complete the synthesis by the time we arrive in my lab." Naruto had been sure to set up a separate lab space for Shino, and the Aburame had been quick to set up several large hives of his Kikaichu and the varieties that he had developed along with Izero, which served as factories for the various chemicals that Naruto and Shino used in their projects.

"Excellent!" Shino beamed at the praise.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Shino sat on the floor before the large glass tube, the slightly luminous blue fluid within illuminating their faces. Covered in a sheen of sweat, their fingers raw and bloody, they were immensely pleased with themselves.<p>

Shino broke the silence first. "We have...created something amazing Naruto-sama."

Naruto's smile was massive, "Yes, yes we have."

"How long do you think it will be until it is fully grown?"

Naruto rubbed his chin, "I think about a month, then the accelerated growth will cease. And Shino-kun, we made a _she_ not an _it_."

Shino nodded, "My apologies Naruto-sama. What shall you call her?"

Naruto stood slowly, and pressed his hand to the glass, looking at the dark haired toddler that floated within the viscous blue fluid. "Heika. Heika Utsukushī."

Shino stood and looked at their creation. "I think that is a fitting name."

* * *

><p>AN:<p>

Heika = Majesty

Utsukushī = Beautiful

So, if the name was to be written in Japanese-style, it would mean Beautiful Majesty.

So then dear fellows, what do you think?


	5. Innocence

AN: So I post chapter four, then watch movie in sociology class. I come back and; OH GOD MY INBOX IS FULL OF REVIEWS AND STORY ALERTS AND FAVES.  
>mfw<br>Thanks guys ;_;

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><p>Villain's Handbook<p>

Innocence

* * *

><p>Kakashi sat with Shikamaru, the two engaged in heated battle over a game of Shogi. True to his reputation as a genius, Kakashi was keeping up with the perpetually lazy Shikamaru.<p>

Naruto stood opposite Sasuke, the blonde carefully observing the "last" Uchiha through half-lidded eyes. "Ne, Shikamaru-kun, Kakashi-san, I play winner." The jonin and genin exchanged glances, then nodded, they both anticipated Sasuke would take care of Naruto in short order, and so the blonde would be free to play long before their game was done.

They couldn't have been more wrong.

Sasuke charged at Naruto, looking to end the spar in one shot, but it was not meant to be. Naruto dodged with fluid grace, seemingly bored. Sasuke launched a kick, only for Naruto to simply lean back, and let the momentum carry him into a handstand, from which he launched a powerful kick, catching Sasuke in the chin and snapping his head back. From there, Naruto simply continued his motion, landing neatly on his feet.

The bored expression never left his face.

Sasuke's expression turned from haughty confidence to fury.

Kakashi and Shikamaru exchanged glances, and opted to postpone the rest of their game in favor of watching the blonde spar with the Uchiha.

Again Sasuke charged, only for Naruto to escape once more, moving his body the bare minimum to escape the Uchiha's wild strikes. Kakashi decided that Naruto was either more of a natural taijutsu user than Gai, or that he had been secretly practicing this style for years. He had seen a similar style, during his days as a member of ANBU, used by a swordsman from Mizu no Kuni. It was called Nagare, Flow. To Kakashi's expert eye, Naruto's form was full of flaws, but was more than sufficient to deal with the wild attacks of the Uchiha boy. He winced as Naruto landed a relaxed, almost lethargic spinning kick to the side of Sasuke's head.

Sasuke was drenched in sweat, his chest heaving.

Naruto hadn't moved but two steps from his original position.

* * *

><p>"Hinata-san."<p>

"A-a-ano, S-Shino-kun." Hinata was exhausted, the weights she wore beneath her baggy clothes were far more tiring than she anticipated, especially since she was resolved to move at her normal speed, despite the extra burden.

"Have you been applying the ointment to your scarring?" Never one to mince words, Shino dived headfirst into what could potentially be a difficult conversation.

Hinata's eyes were wide, "W-what do you m-mean, S-Shino-kun?"

Shino sighed, "Have you been applying the ointment to your scar Hinata-san."

She remained silent.

Shino sighed, this time in disgust, and turned to walk away. Hinata caught his arm, and Shino very nearly had his colonies devour her. Slowly, he turned to face her, "Yes?"

"A-ano...N-Naruto-kun...t-told you?" She was shaking.

Shino nodded, "Naruto-sama told me that he has shown interest in you."

Her eyes grew even wider, a feat that impressed the stoic Aburame, he was unaware that the human eye could become that wide.

"N-Naruto-_sama_?" Her voice was little more than a whisper.

"Yes. Naruto-sama. He is my mentor, my friend, my brother in all but blood." Shino shook her hand off his arm. "I fail to see why he feels you would be worth anything."

Hinata looked towards the ground, tears forming in her eyes, almost unbidden, the memory of Naruto's bloody hands wiping her tears sprang to mind. "H-he doesn't...not...n-not now...h-he told me to...show him...something...beautiful." She was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"Well, then do not disappoint him. He is not merciful when he is disappointed." Shino turned away and began to leave, when a small voice behind him.

"Help me." The voice was steady. Soft, small, weak. But steady.

Shino turned, and saw a fire in her eyes that he never expected. "What was that?"

Hinata steeled herself. She looked panicked for a second, "**HELP ME!**" That single outburst seemed to drain her, making her seem even smaller than before.

Shino appraised her, and seemed to look at her for hours. Finally, he spoke. "Very well." He settled to the ground, and gestured to the spot before him. "Sit. We will talk."

* * *

><p>Yugito sat in her chambers, her knees pulled against her chest, and her chin resting on her knees.<p>

She sighed, she was at a loss. Her chakra was locked, her connection with Matatabi severed. Escape was but a distant dream, something to hope for, but not to truly expect. She was free to roam the halls of her captor's compound, save for a few places, and had even engaged in conversation with the blonde's assistant, a stoic boy that called himself Shino. She had learned much, or so she thought. When she returned to her room later that day, she realized that Shino had only told her one thing she did not already know. His name.

She still knew nothing about her captor, or where she was, or if she was even still in Konoha.

In her misery, she began to cry.

She didn't hear the door open, or the soft patter of bare feet crossing the stone floor, didn't register the small hands that touched her own. Only becoming aware of all of this when the visitor spoke.

"Oneechan? Why is oneechan crying?"

Yugito's head snapped up, her teeth barred, her eyes wide, her face a mask of sadness and rage. Immediately she regretted it.

With a scream, the small girl that had spoke bolted from the room. Yugito sprung up and gave chase, eventually finding the small girl hiding behind some pipes.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, it's ok, you can come out." The girl emerged cautiously, her eyes narrow and wary. Yugito smiled in what she hoped was a comforting manner, "I won't hurt you little one." Yugito extended a hand, which the girl tentatively grasped. When she was sure enough that Yugito wouldn't hurt her, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms around the woman's neck, bawling freely.

At a loss, Yugito picked her up, and brought her back to her room.

Grasping at something, anything to get the girl to stop crying, Yugito asked the first question that came to mind. "Little one, what's your name?"

The girl pushed herself off Yugito, and sat on her knees on the woman's bed. Her eyes were wide now, and Yugito couldn't help but think of beautiful they were. One was vibrant crystalline blue, and the other was a deep emerald. The girl took a deep breath, "Um. Heika Utsukushī! Pleased to meet you oneechan!"

* * *

><p>Naruto stood next to the open door, peering into Yugito's chambers. The Kumo kunoichi was brushing Heika's hair with her fingers, and the young girl had an expression of bliss on her face. Quietly, he entered the room, and seated himself in one of the chairs in the room.<p>

Heika immediately looked at him with bright eyes and ran to hug him. "Oniisama! Why didn't you say that there was such a pretty and nice oneechan here! I thought it was just us and Shino-oniisan!"

Naruto gently rubbed her head, "Well Ka-hime, that's because Yugito-oneechan wasn't feeling very well, and she was very mad with your oniisama." Heika's eyes narrowed and she rushed back to Yugito, plopping herself in the woman's lap and crossing her arms before turning to glare at Naruto with all the severity that her little body could muster.

"What did oniisama do to oneechan!" Yugito looked at the small girl, and wrapped her arms around her, resting her chin on her head. She leveled a look at Naruto that challenged him to answer the girl.

Naruto simply smiled his lazy smile and chuckled. "Well, Yugito-oneechan and I were in a very serious fight, and I was very rude to her, something that I'm very sorry about."

Yugito moved her mouth down to Heika's ear and whispered something. Heika's eyes grew wider, "You didn't even tell her your name oniisama?"

Naruto sighed, "It seems to have escaped my mind Ka-hime, I'm sorry, you know how I get sometimes."

The girl nodded, then quickly shook her head, "That's no excuse oniisama! Hey, hey! Oneechan! Oniisama's name is Naruto! Naruto-oniisama!"

Yugito smiled, finally, she knew something about her captor, "Thank you Ka-hime." At Naruto's expression of mock agony Heika stuck her tongue out at the blonde, who simply burst out laughing. "Well, Naruto-san, I am rather hungry, I don't know about Ka-hime." She looked at the girl, who nodded furiously. "Well, there you have it. Be a dear, and fetch us some food."

Naruto smiled strangely at this, and for an instant, Yugito was sure that she saw raw fury behind his blue eyes. Only for an instant, then it was gone. He hung his head in defeat, "Fiiiiine~. How about you and Ka-hime come with me though, so I can show you the kitchen. That way you can feed yourself, alright Yugito-hime?" As he walked out the door, he placed his hand on his chin. "And after, maybe you could show Yugito-hime where you were born, ok Ka-hime?"

The small girl nodded furiously, "Yes oniisama!"

* * *

><p>Yugito sat back in her room, staring at the plate of food before her. She had no appetite. That sweet little girl had done as her beloved "oniisama" had asked her, and shown Yugito where she was born.<p>

If one could call it birth.

A glass tube, which had been full of "icky glowing blue junk" is where she had been born. Her first memories being only a few days ago, when she opened her eyes and panicked, breaking her hand against the thick glass. Heika had shown her she scar on her small hand where the bone had poked out of her skin. She called it an "owie", and said that it was all better just a few hours after.

Yugito ran towards her small bathroom and promptly began dry heaving into the toilet. After a few more heaves, her body seemed to remember that she had no food in her stomach, and settled for making her simply feel miserable.

She would felt that she would never be able to look at Heika the same way. She had genuinely liked the seemingly innocent girl, and Naruto had ruined that for her.

And for what?

Because she had talked back to him, given him attitude when she asked for food?

She began to cry when she returned to her bed, and threw the plate of food against the wall, crying out in anguish.

"Heika, your oneechan is mad at your oniisama again." Yugito stiffened. "And...I deserve it. I didn't expect her to react like that."

"Like what oniisama?"

She could almost see Naruto's sad smile, "You're different Heika," She imagined that Heika would look down, a miserable look on her small face, tears beginning to appear in her brilliant eyes, "that's not a bad thing Heika, never think that it's a bad thing. You're wonderful and amazing, _never_ forget that. But your oneechan isn't used to beautiful little girls being born like you were. You remember what I told you, right?" Yugito imagined that the girl would nod.

"Yes oniisama, you told me that oniisama and Shino-oniisan worked for days to make sure that Heika was born healthy and strong!"

Yugito imagined Naruto putting his hand on Heika's head, and that sad smile again. "That's right Heika. Don't blame Yugito for her reaction, it's not her fault. I should have thought ahead. Don't be mad at her. She needs a cute little imouto to keep her company, just like you need a strong oneechan to help you grow up strong. Ok?"

The girl would nod furiously, Yugito slid down her wall, her head in her hands, silent sobs wracking her body. She felt like a monster, the girl had no choice into how she came into this world, so Yugito had no right to look at her as anything less than the child that she was.

"Um...oneechan?" Yugito looked up, Heika stood before her, tears streaking her face. Yugito only smiled through her tears, and held her arms out to the girl, crushing her into a fierce embrace.

* * *

><p>Naruto calmly strode away from Yugito's room, pulling a cigarette out of his pocket, and lighting it in a fluid motion.<p>

That lazy smile spread across his face, and a low chuckle escaped him. "Just as planned."

* * *

><p>AN: So uh, Naruto is a manipulative bastard. Is he magnificent? I think so.<p> 


End file.
